According to the Hollywood Reporter, newcomer Rooney Mara has been cast to play the bad-assed emo heroine Lisbeth Sander in the much-anticipated American remake of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The original was filmed in Sweden and it looks as though the American version will be filmed there as well. Production is scheduled to begin shooting next month. The projected release date is December 21, 2011.

Rooney Mara, 25, who most recently appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street, beat out contenders like Natalie Portman, Ellen Page and Anne Hathaway for the role. Daughter of the owner of the Pittsburg Steelers, Mara attended NYU before deciding to follow her sister and pursue acting. Rooney’s career took off in 2009 when she went from recurring roles on shows like ER and Law and Order to landing a spot in Youth in Revolt opposite Michael Cera. The Girl With the Dragon Tatto, if successful, could propel her even further into stardom as she will be playing opposite such big names as Daniel Craig, Robin Wright and Stellan Skarsgard.

Like with any American remake, there is always that feeling of anticipation mixed with a little dread that the storylines and characters will be watered-down in order to become more palatable to domestic box-office moviegoers. Casting is one area of contention. Lisbeth Salander is not your average cheesy, cream puff of a character.

She is intelligent, strong, and according to Larsen’s books, downright depraved at times. Speculation had pinned hopes on more edgy actors such as True Blood’s vampire queen herself, Evan Rachel Wood. But Noomi Rapace, who brought Sander to life in the original Swedish version, is quite the veritable hard act to follow. It’s going to take a lot more than some hair dye and eyeliner to fill those shoes. Then again, we’re talking about an actor that is said to have won the role of “Juliet” in an NYU production of Shakespeare’s play. We’ll just have to wait and see if Mara can pull this off.

• Tweet